If the whole recycling process is a little daunting but you want to get involved and start changing the way you dispose of your rubbish then the Green Guardian is here to guide you along the way.

So why recycle? Every year the average wandsworth household throws away about one tonne of rubbish – about the same weight as a car – most of which can be recycled.

Much of it goes to landfill sites but it is estimated that space for London’s rubbish will run out within the next couple of years so it is vital that more people change their ways and start now.

Recycling gives waste a future. Making new products from rubbish means we do not have to bury or burn it, plus this saves energy and resources, which is good for the economy and the environment.

The council is committed to this process and will deliver a roll of 30 orange recycling sacks every three months, free of charge, which will allow you to use about three per week.

The sacks are collected every week on your usual rubbish collection day, so leave them just inside your front garden, where they can be clearly seen by the collection crew.

If you do not have a front garden then you must leave your sacks on the pavement, but if your rubbish is collected in wheeled bins the council cannot provide the orange sack recycling service.

Instead, wherever possible, they will provide wheeled recycling banks at blocks for the private use of residents.

You can also recycle a wider range of items, such as clothes, shoes, printer cartridges and books, at two local Reuse and Recycling centres, with funds raised going to a variety of charities.

The two sites in the borough are located at Smugglers Way, Wandsworth, and Cringle Street, Battersea.

Sam Jarvis, of Recycle Western Riverside, said: "To boost recycling rates further, there are three things you can do.

"Firstly, if you’re not recycling, start today.

"Recycling is more energy-efficient than making things from scratch, it prevents rubbish going to landfill and helps reduce carbon emissions.

"If you’ve got a garden, try composting your organic waste too.

"Secondly, recycle everything you can.

"Many people don’t realise you can recycle things like jars, empty aerosols or the plastic bottles you find in the kitchen or bathroom, such as shampoo or detergent bottles.

"Lastly, make sure you recycle the right things.

"If you put the wrong things in your recycling, it makes it difficult to sort and may result in it all going to landfill."

As a word of warning, confidential paper waste such as bills, statements or documents showing your address, bank or credit card details should be shredded before being put in the sacks or banks.

What you can and cannot put into the orange sacks YES NO - Glass bottles and jars
- Newspapers
- Cardboard
- Plastic bottles
- Drinks cans
- Aluminium tins
- Aerosols
- Food and drink cartons - Garden and food waste
- Kitchen foil
- Electrical equipment
- Clothes or shoes
- Pyrex dishes or saucepans
- Lightbulbs and batteries
- Plastic carrier bags
- Plastic food containers